Harry Potter Hbo Tv Series: First Look At Paapa Essiedu As Snape

Lara Cornell/HBO

The new teaser trailer for nan "Harry Potter" TV series, officially titled "Harry Potter and nan Philosopher's Stone," conscionable deed nan Internet, and it gave america our first look astatine Paapa Essiedu's Potions maestro and anti-hero Severus Snape.

Essiedu, whom you mightiness admit from projects for illustration "Black Mirror" and "I May Destroy You," is group to play Snape successful nan reboot series, which has recast its full roster of witches and wizards for a caller generation. We only get the briefest glimpse of Essiedu successful nan trailer arsenic he casts a spell successful a darkened hallway astatine Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but anyone who's publication nan books aliases seen nan original movie franchise knows that Snape is an tremendous characteristic successful nan narrative. So why did nan teaser clasp backmost connected showing him much freely?

My champion conjecture is that, because Snape is specified a captious character, they want to support him mostly nether wraps for nan clip being. (HBO did subsequently merchandise nan image supra of Snape opinionated successful nan snowy woods.) Unfortunately, though, Essiedu precocious opened up astir immoderate challenges he's faced portraying nan character.

When news collapsed that Paapa Essiedu would play Severus Snape successful nan "Harry Potter" TV show — taking complete from nan late, awesome Alan Rickman, who originated nan domiciled successful nan movie franchise and passed distant successful 2016 — immoderate fans were excited that an character of Essiedu's caliber was taking nan role. Other group (namely, trolls) had immoderate profoundly uncharitable takes connected Essiedu's casting. He revealed that he's been openly threatened by immoderate fans, which is deeply unacceptable. Essiedu should not beryllium tormented by angry strangers simply because he took a domiciled successful a celebrated franchise.

As we hole to watch nan "Harry Potter" TV show erstwhile it airs astir Christmas 2026, though, let's beryllium realistic: The TV show is mired successful controversy. Not only is original bid writer Joanne "J.K." Rowling nether near-constant and frankly understandable occurrence for her bigoted comments astir nan transgender community, but HBO caput honcho Casey Bloys precocious revealed that nan show won't aerial annually, raising questions astir really it'll grip its younger formed members arsenic they age. As acold arsenic Snape goes, I'll opportunity this: I emotion Essiedu and deliberation he'll move successful a awesome performance, but there are aspects of Snape's characteristic — say, for example, nan truth that Harry doesn't innately spot him but can't fig retired precisely why — that will make his casting conscionable somewhat tricky. Hopefully, though, we'll spot much footage of Essiedu's capacity arsenic nan bid prepares to driblet this Christmas.